


Heros Magica

by Marlmo



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alive!Tadashi, Brotherly Love, Crossover, Gen, Magical Boys, Magical Girls, Wishes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-25
Updated: 2014-12-08
Packaged: 2018-02-26 23:50:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2670980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marlmo/pseuds/Marlmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Tadashi's death, Hiro encounters an unusual visitor who claims to be able to grant any wish he desires. Hiro knows exactly what to ask for. But every wish comes with a price. </p>
<p>Crossover with the Puella Magi Madoka Magica universe. No need to have seen it though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. If it means I get to see my brother again

Hiro didn't register what happened at first. It was like his brain was working in slow motion. He was on the ground and he couldn't remember how he had fallen in the first place. He opened his eyes and tried looking around. All he could see was a haze of blindingly bright red. He tried to breath and almost choked when he inhaled smoke. He was faintly aware of a crackling sound. And the roar of something that sounded like a waterfall.

No, wait. Not water.

It was –

Hiro shot up immediately, eyes wide with fear. He pushed himself off the pavement and got up on his trembling feet.

"Tadashi!" he screamed.

Hiro watched in horror at the flames engulfing the doorway to the SFIT Showcase Hall. The doorway where his brother had been in just seconds ago.

"Tadashi!" he repeated but the only reply he got was the blaring sound of flames. His heart was hammering against his chest.

"Tadashi!" he tried again, his voice coming out like a desperate plea.

Come on Tadashi! Please, please tell me you're OK.

He scanned the ruins for a sign, even the tiniest hint that his brother was alright.

But all he could see and hear was the fire destroying everything.

He ran towards the blaze, not caring about the heat or the blinding light of the fire. But before he could get any closer, he was pulled back by a strong grip. Hiro whirled around and saw a girl around his age who was tightly holding on to his arm with one hand. In her other hand, she was clutching a stuffed bear.

"Are you out of your mind!" the stranger yelled. She stared at him in disbelief. It could have been just the glow of the fire, but her hair and eyes seemed to be a striking shade of orange.

"My brother's still in there!" Hiro cried as he tried to pry himself away from her. But she was surprisingly strong, even though she was holding him with one hand.

The girl refused to let go. "It's too dangerous for you," she warned.

She dragged Hiro back away from the fire.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

Hiro could do nothing but watch the burning building. Helpless to save his only brother.

In the distance, a white catlike figure silently watched the scene.

* * *

Hiro had lost track of the days after Tadashi's death. Whether it had been weeks, months or just a day, it didn't matter. The pain felt as raw and fresh as ever. He shut himself off in his room and kept the blinds down.

Outside, the world kept turning. The hustle and bustle of San Fransokyo hadn't slowed down. And Hiro couldn't understand how. How could the rest of the city go about its day as if nothing had happened? How could life continue on around him when his world was absolutely shattered? He couldn't bear to go outside. He couldn't bear to see all those people who would go on living, blissfully unaware and uncaring of the death of one person.

He was slouched on his seat when heard Aunt Cass' footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned to look at the plate of food she had brought up for him. Aunt Cass had been doing her best to get him to eat something. But everything just tasted like ashes in his mouth. He had left the last plate of food that she left for him untouched on the desk again.

"Hey," she said as she held the plate in her hands. She smiled at him though he could tell it was strained.

"You know Mrs. Matsuda's down at the café and she's wearing something totally inappropriate for an eighty year old," she joked. "Why don't you come down for a bit?"

"Maybe later," Hiro muttered.

She took the plate of cold food and replaced it with the freshly cooked meal.

"Oh by the way, the college called again," Aunt Cass piped hopefully. "It's been a few weeks since class started but they say you're still welcome to enroll."

She pulled the blinds open to let the sunlight in.

"I'll think about it," Hiro replied halfheartedly, still sitting in a slump.

"Alright," Aunt Cass hesitated for a moment before going back downstairs.

He looked out the window for a moment before getting up. He padded over to the window and lowered the blinds down, throwing the room into darkness again.

He moved to reach for Megabot on his desk when a saw something from the corner of his eyes. He turned around and for a moment, he thought it was Mochi plopped on his bed. But he instantly realized that whatever it was that he was looking at, it was definitely not their furry fat cat.

It looked feline but unlike Mochi, this one looked small and lithe. Its fur was as white as snow and its tail was bushy, like a fox's. It had pointy ears like a cat. But it seemed to also have a pair of long floppy rabbit-like ears coming out from the pointy ones. A gold hoop hung suspended around each of its rabbit-like ears.

It looked straight at Hiro with its pink eyes. If Hiro hadn't been caught off guard by such an unfamiliar appearance, he would have thought it was cute.

Hiro's first instinct was to shoo the animal away. Or maybe run away from this uncanny thing. But as his eyes met with the cat creature, he couldn't help but feel drawn to it.

Hiro eyed it warily, standing in the middle of his room.

"Hello," he heard a child-like voice say.

It sounded like it came from the cat creature. But Hiro was sure that was impossible because  **a)**  cats couldn't talk and  **b)**  even if they did, the cat creature didn't even move its mouth. It just stared at him with that unchanging expression.

"Wh-what?" he stammered. Hiro tore his gaze away from the feline on his bed and started searching around to find whoever was talking.

"Hiro Hamada. It's nice to finally speak to you face to face," came the voice again.

His eyes fell back on the not-cat and he blinked nervously.

"You're talking?" he blurted incredulously.

"Yes," it replied curtly with a small nod.

"How did you know my name? What are you?"

"My name is Kyubey," it continued. "And I came here because I have a request for you."

"A request?" he said. He tried to think of what this kind-of-but-not-really-a-cat creature could possibly want from him. But what it said next was something that never would have crossed his mind.

"Yes. I want you to make a contract with me. And become a magical boy," Kyubet stated nonchalantly.

"Wait, what?" came Hiros' dumbfounded reply.

"I can grant you one wish - any wish you desire. And in exchange for that wish, you will become a magical boy."

If Hiro didn't have more pressing things on his mind, he would have snickered at the words 'magical boy'. It sounded so silly. And yet he clung to one thing it said.

"A wish?" he said.

"Yes. Anything you want, I can make it true," it said as it wagged its fluffy tail.

"Really? Anything?" he pressed on.

This was a dream right? I mean, wishes and magic? That was the stuff of fantasies. And yet here was a creature that was unlike anything he had ever seen. And it looked as solidly real as anything else in his room. And if Kyubey was real, then maybe- ?

For the first time in weeks, he felt a spark of hope. Of course he knew what he would wish for. He could wish for Tadashi to be brought back to life. He could have is brother again. He could be with him, just as it should have been.

But doubt wormed its way into his thoughts.  _Be realistic Hiro_ , he berated himself. Even with all the advancements of science, even with all his brains - bringing the dead back to life was impossible. How could he wish for something impossible and think for even a second that the laws of the universe would bend to his will. He felt a surge of frustration. How can this thing dangle false hope in his face?

"Stop it. You can't." he said.

"I can't what?" Kyubey asked. It tilted its head questioningly.

"Look, I don't know where you came from but you can't grant my wish. It's impossible," Hiro whispered miserably.

"I can grant even the most impossible miracles," it said matter-of-factly.

"You can't make miracles happen because they're not real," he countered.

"But I speak only the truth," Kyubey assured him.

"Even reversing death?" Hiro challenged. "Can you do that too?"

"Yes. If that is what you wish for." Kyubey said, "You're outside of the target demographic whom I usually form contracts with. But I sense great potential in you. Such a wish would be no problem for you."

"Alright," Hiro humored it, "Let's say it you really can grant wishes. There's gotta be a catch, right?"

"Indeed, it does come with a price," it agreed. "When your wish is granted, you'll become a magical boy. You would have incredible magic powers. And as a magical boy, you'll need to fight beings known as witches with your new power."

"Wait. Magical boy? Witches? You're kidding right?" he said suspiciously, "Magic isn't real!"

But even as these words left his mouth, Hiro was aware that was talking to a creature that he would have sworn just moments ago did not exist. Who knew what other unthinkable thing could turn out to be real?

"Witches are as real as the dangers they posses, "Kyubey said. "They are malicious creatures that prey on unsuspecting humans. There are also warlocks who are much rarer but are just as dangerous as witches. In fact, the fire at SFIT was caused by a witch."

"What? But they said it was an accident," Hiro said. "My brother was in that fire. He-"

_He died in an accident,_ Hiro wanted to say.

But he paused in hesitation and instead said, "He died in an accident. That's what they told me."

"Ordinary humans can't see witches. And so, they perceive the disasters they bring upon humans as accidents or natural disasters," Kyubey explained. "They usually stay out of sight in the hiding places they create. We call these places labyrinths."

"So you're saying my brother's gone cause of a witch?" Hiro asked.

"Perhaps the witch did not directly target your brother," Kyubey considered, "But the ensuing fire that it caused did lead to your brother's death. So, yes. In a way, a witch was responsible for your brother's fate."

Hiro clenched his fists in frustration. All this time, he thought it was an accident. That there was no one he could blame. For weeks, he was holding back directionless anger. And now, he had something more concrete to shower all his pent up fury.

"If you became a magical boy, you could fight these witches and prevent them from harming anyone. You could protect everyone you love," Kyubey pointed out.

Hiro could barely keep up with what he was hearing. He could feel resentment welling up inside him. So a witch was responsible for his brother's death? And they could hurt even more people if they went unchecked? But if he could become a magical boy, he could protect everyone. No would die because of them.

But he wasn't ready to trust Kyubey just yet.

"If I wished for you to bring back someone from the dead, how do I know you won't twist my words? That he won't end up a zombie?"

"I would gain nothing by not giving you exactly what you wish for," it said. "I wouldn't ask you to fight witches if you I didn't fulfill my end of the contract."

It didn't seem to be lying. And at this point, what choice did he have?

Hiro was aware of how surreal it was talking to – well, whatever Kyubey was. It all sounded too good to be true. But if he could see and hear something as fantastical as Kyubey, then Hiro dared to hope for more. Even if Kyubey couldn't grant him his wish, he still wouldn't lose anything more than he already had.

In his despair, here was a second chance. A chance to get things right this time.

His brother had devoted his life to helping others. He was always there to protect him. Now it was time someone was there to protect him.

"This all sounds absolutely crazy," Hiro admitted. "But if it means I get to see my brother again, then I'll take it."

Kyubey flicked its tail.

"Now then," it said. "Hiro Hamada, what is your wish?"

He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. Something that Kyubey couldn't misinterpret, purposely or not.

Then, he got it.

"I wish my brother hadn't died in that fire and that he gets to live a long, healthy and happy life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my attempt at writing a crossover fanfic with Big Hero 6 and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I've decided to nudge the established canon around a bit to fit this crossover. But aside from making Kyubey form a contract with a boy, I'm keeping things mostly the same.
> 
> Sorry for the exposition heavy first chapter. I'm trying to write this in a way so that people who haven't seen PMMM can still follow it.
> 
> If you have seen the anime though, you might recognize who the orange haired girl in the first part was.


	2. It was just a bad dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro wakes up to find that his wish has come true.
> 
> Hiro is overwhelmed.
> 
> Tadashi is worried.
> 
> Kyubey is nonchalant.

Hiro was curled up in a tight ball in his bed when he slowly stirred awake. Sunlight was streaming into the room and he could hear the distant rumble of cars and people passing by outside the window. But drowsiness refused to release its hold on him. He tossed his blanket over his head and lay snuggled under the covers. He never wanted to leave him soft warm bed.

As he lay there, he felt oddly calm. As if it was the first time in a long while that he had slept peacefully, without terrifying nightmares rousing him in the dead of night. He felt so at ease, he almost slipped back to sleep.

“Hey bonehead, time to get up!” a voice cut through the peaceful morning silence.

It sounded familiar. But in Hiro’s sleep-addled mind, he couldn’t tell who it was.

_Huh? Geez…it’s way too early. Keep it down._

He felt someone latch onto his shoulder and gently shake him.

“Come on, you don’t wanna be late for you first day at college.”

It took him a few seconds to finally recognize who it was.

_Ugh. Tadashi. Why was he waking him up so early?_

_What?_

Hiro practically flew out of his bed as he tossed his cover aside.

“Tadashi!” Hiro yelled.

He sat up so suddenly, he barely even noticed that he had accidentally smacked his elbow on to something. That something happened to be Tadashi’s jaw.

 “Ow!” came Tadashi’s surprised yelp.

Hiro stared in absolute shock at his brother. His brother who was leaning over his bed. His brother who was alive. Hiro’s mind was reeling.

“You’re OK!” Hiro cried.

“Um yeah,” Tadashi replied, rubbing gingerly at the sore spot on his jaw, “I wouldn’t classify getting my face brutalized by your elbow as OK.”

A small smile formed on his lips as he jokingly said those words. But it slipped of instantly when he saw the expression on Hiro’s face. His younger brother’s eyes looked like they were about the pop right out of his head. His mouth hung open like he was about to start screaming.

A look of concern settled on Tadashi’s features.

 “Hey-“ Tadashi began but was stunned into silence when Hiro leapt off the bed and threw himself towards him. He nearly knocked Tadashi clean off his feet when they collided. Hiro hugged him, clinging to him tightly like a drowning man gripping on to piece of driftwood. He held on to him like that for a moment, before Tadashi placed a comforting hand on his messy hair.

 _Oh God_ , Hiro thought.

He was hugging him. He was here. He was real. Hiro couldn’t breathe. His vision was getting blurry and it took him a split second to realize that tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

_No don’t cry! Don’t cry!_

He couldn’t let Tadashi see him like this. He would only freak his brother out from his pathetic sniveling. But even as he tried to hold on to the last shreds of his teenage dignity, his composure kept crumbling away. His face was burning from embarrassment.

“You-“ Hiro whimpered.

A choked sob escaped from his mouth. He could feel himself trembling. His head was starting hurt from all the effort to hold back his crying.

“Whoah, hey.” Tadashi said uncertainly. “You alright there?”

Hearing his brother’s concerned voice finally broke him. He thought he would never hear his brother say those kinds of things to him again. He never thought he would miss his brother fretting over him.

Hiro’s tiny sobs become full on bawling. He was too tired and overwhelmed to stop the flood of tears that came pouring out.

Tadashi stroked his head with slow gentle motions. He was at a loss at the way his brother’s sudden mood swing.

Hiro buried his face into Tadashi’s shirt. He was soaking his clothes with his tears. But Hiro didn’t care. All he could perceive at that moment was how solid his brother felt. How soothingly warm he was. How he smelled faintly of mint. All these little details he never paid much attention to until they were suddenly gone.

“You idiot!” Hiro snapped into Tadashi’s chest, voice coming out muffled. He tried to hide how utterly strained his emotions were with a mask of anger. It was easier for him to pretend to be angry than to admit to weakness in front of Tadashi.

“I can’t believe you would do that. Stupid stupid stupid Nii-chan!” Hiro cried, emphasizing each ‘stupid’ by halfheartedly pounding his fist on Tadashi’s chest.

“What are you-“ Tadashi started.

“Shut up. Just shut up. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Hiro said.

That’s right. Whatever happened in the past was irrelevant now. All that was important was that Hiro had Tadashi again. Despite the tears, Hiro managed a tiny smile. Hiro was suddenly aware of how tightly he was hugging his brother.

Trying to pull himself back together, Hiro eased himself out of the embrace. He felt embarrassed to have lost control so completely. He looked pointedly at the ground. He could feel his face heating up.

“Are you alright?” Tadashi asked.

“Yeah. Sorry,” Hiro said. He wiped his teary eyes with his sleeve. He tried to sidestep Tadashi but his brother just blocked his path.

“Hiro, what’s wrong?” Tadashi pressed.

Hiro shook his head. He refused to meet his gaze.

Hiro couldn’t tell him. Not about the fire. Or Tadashi’s death.

 _Or his wish_.

God. He almost forgot about that. But now he remembered that he had met Kyubey. And that he made his wish. He remembered seeing light. It was so blindingly intense. And there was pain. Unbearable pain that burned through every cell in his body. He had felt like his entire being was being ripped apart. The pain from his memory came surging back. It still felt so vivid.

light

pain

Light

Pain

LIGHT

PAIN

**LIGHT**

**PAIN**

And then darkness.

_Did that actually happen?_

“Hiro?” Tadashi said gently.

Hiro was pulled back from his shell shocked silence.

He shook his head frantically.

“It’s nothing. I guess I just had a bad dream,” he lied.

 “About what? Just tell me,” Tadashi urged.

“I said it was nothing alright? It was just a bad dream,” he insisted.

“Tadashi? Is Hiro up yet?.” Aunt Cass called from downstairs, “He’s gonna be late for his first class.”

Tadashi turned to face the flight of steps that led to the kitchen and called back, “Yeah, be down in a minute!”

While Tadashi was distracted, Hiro took his chance to slip by him.

“Well I better get ready then!” Hiro chirped in the most cheerful voice he could muster.

He ignored Tadashi’s “Wait!” and sprinted towards the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and locked it with a satisfying click.

He leaned his back against the door. He shut his eyes and tried to process what just happened back there.

“Alright,” he muttered to himself. “Not the best way to start the morning.”

He put a trembling hand on his forehead. That was when he felt something hard and cool press against his face.

He pulled his hand back to see a silver ring on his left middle finger. It had some strange symbols engraved on it.

He couldn’t make out what language it was. He had never even seen writing like that before.

The nail on that same middle finger had a distinct purple mark on it. It was shaped like a gear with six cogs. He tried rubbing on it but it seemed to be permanently embedded on his fingernail.

“Where did these come from?” Hiro thought out aloud softly.

“You received those after you made your contract with me.”

Hiro looked up to see Kyubey who was sitting on the bathroom countertop and was right next to the sink.

It wagged it fluffy tail.

“Hiro Hamada, your wish has been granted. From this day on, you are a magical boy.”

At that point, Hiro still had no idea just how ominous that declaration truly was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about different soul gem shapes for Hiro, but eventually decided to go with a six toothed cogwheel. I think it ties in nicely with his inventor side. And it reflects his desire to "fix" what happened to Tadashi.
> 
> He'll have his first encounter with a witch soon, though he might not be able to be have a proper battle in the next chapter just yet. I've also got ideas for original witches and labyrinths. But feel free to give suggestions.


	3. Something’s not right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the glacial pace and the heavy-handed exposition.
> 
> I tried to write a bit of Tadashi's thoughts in this chapter. I might do more on Tadashi's and other character's perspective when Hiro gets more involved with fighting witches. It might be fun to try writing about what other character's might think he's doing when he goes sneaking off by himself to battle witches and familiars. Do you think POV shift would be interesting or is it better to just focus on Hiro?

Tadashi was at a loss. He had never seen Hiro burst into tears like that. He called him “Nii-chan” for crying out loud! He hadn’t called him that since he was eight. It alarmed him to think that something could make his brother feel so scared, whether or not it was a nightmare. He wanted to bang on the door and insist that he tell him what was really wrong. But Hiro clearly didn’t want to talk to him. And the made him even more worried.

He could hear the shower running through the bathroom door. Was it the right choice to just give him some space and wait till he came out? He had decided to leave him alone in here. But as the minutes ticked by, he was growing more anxious. For all his brains in robotics and biology, Tadashi often found himself bewildered by Hiro.

Tadashi decided to help Aunt Cass out a bit to keep his mind off of it. There weren’t too many people at the café this time of day. But it was always nice to have a few extra helping hands. He came across her in the café kitchen.

“Where’s Hiro?” Aunt Cass asked. She was holding up a tray full of plates to serve to the waiting customers.

“Taking a shower I think,” Tadashi replied, “He might be in there a while. In the meantime, why don’t I help you with that?”

In one smooth motion, he took the tray of plates from her hands.

“Oh, thanks. But aren’t you going to be late?” she wondered.

“Nah. We’ve still got some time,” he assured her. “We’ll take my moped. It’ll be faster than the train.”

“I thought you were saving up on gas money?” she pointed out.

“It’s fine. Today is Hiro’s first day of college after all,” he said, “It won’t hurt to splurge a little on his big day.”

Aunt Cass’ eyes lit up and she smiled widely.

“Oh, my little Hiro’s finally going off to college.” She cooed, “He’s been so excited for it all month. It’s a good thing they finally managed to clear away the debris from the accident.”

Her expression became slightly more serious. “I mean, I understand why they had to delay classes until today. They had to make sure no chemicals or damaged machines from the showcase building posed any danger to the students.”

She continued, “But now that it’s safe, we can move on. I’m sure that’s what Professor Callaghan would have wanted.”

Tadashi nodded solemnly. “Yes, I’m sure he would.”

 

The night at the showcase fire still shone brightly in his memories. He had tried to go into the burning building to save Professor Callaghan. And just seconds after he passed through those doors, an explosion tore through the building. He remembered being caught in the blast. He remembered how the flames surrounded him. But he didn’t feel any pain. No hot fire searing through his skin. No ash-filled smoke clogging up his lungs. The flames just felt like harmless air passing by him.

Then he must have lost consciousness because the next thing he knew, he was lying on a bed in a hospital. Even though he was right in the path of the explosion, he had sustained no injuries. He had no burn marks or signs of smoke inhalation. According to the doctors, it was a miracle that he had survived the explosion, let alone come away from it completely unscathed. With no injuries, he was allowed to go home pretty quickly.

But it still tore him up inside that he failed to save Professor Callaghan from the accident. But he knew the he wouldn’t have wanted Tadashi to beat himself up over something he couldn’t control. Professor Callaghan was a good man. He was glad to have known him.

“Well better not keep those customers waiting,” Aunt Cass said, shaking Tadashi from his reverie.

“Right, leave it to me,” he said.

Tadashi served plates and took orders while Aunt Cass worked in the kitchen. While he helped around the café for a few minutes, he kept glancing up at the clock. What was taking Hiro so long?

 Tadashi was starting to get really worried.  Tadashi was just about to head up when he saw Hiro making his way downstairs. His hair looked a bit damp and he was wearing fresh clothes. Though he had on his favorite dark blue jacket. His bag was slung over his shoulder. He seemed to have calmed down.

He even looked…happy?

“Um hey,”  Hiro said. He hopped off the last step and flashed him a grin.

“You alright?” Tadashi asked tentatively.

“Yup. Never better,” Hiro chirped.

And this time, his improved mood seemed absolutely sincere. This wasn’t like those fake smiles he used when he was trying to hide something.

Seeing his brother smiling like that, Tadashi felt like a great weight had been lifted off him. Maybe he was worrying for nothing after all. He’ll try to navigate the complicated muddle of teenage mood swings another time. Right now, he was going to focus on getting his brother to school on time.

“Well, better get going then. You don’t wanna be late for your first at SFIT,” Tadashi said.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Hiro cheered.

 

* * *

 

**_Moments before_ **

“That ring is your soul gem in its dormant form,” Kyubey informed Hiro.

“My what?” Hiro asked. He straightened himself as he stood up and approached it. Kyubey still sat calmly on the bathroom countertop.

“Your soul gem. It’s where you draw your power to do incredible magical feats,” Kyubey clarified, “Your soul gem can take on three forms. Currently, you’re using minimal magic, so your soul gem is in ring form. But as you you draw more energy, your soul gem changes shape.”

“Then, what kind of stuff can I do?” Hiro said.

“It’s different for every person I make a contract with. But the main thing is, you’ll have the power to defeat witches and protect your loved ones,” Kyubey stated.

“ I’m sure you’ll find out what your abilities are soon enough. Don’t worry. I’ll be watching over you every step of the way,” Kyubey guaranteed.

“Thanks Kyubey,” Hiro said. He gave it an affectionate pat on the head. It tilted its head to accept the gentle gesture and wagged its tail.

“Um anyway, I still have to get ready. So if you could just go outside while I take a shower? That would be great.” Hiro requested.

Kyubey merely tilted its head again, as if to say _hmm_?

“Since you’re a new magical boy, it is my responsibility to always stay with you until I can be sure that you will fully mature into your new role,” it declared.

“I’m not gonna start fighting witches in the bathroom, Kyubey,” Hiro snorted. “Seriously, I’ll be fine”

Kyubey paused thoughtfully.

“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal. But very well,” Kyubey conceded with a shrug. Or at least Hiro assumed it was a shrug. Could cats shrug? (or almost-cats for that matter).

It pounced gracefully on the floor tiles. Hiro opened the door to let him out.

Before he shut the door, Hiro called out to Kyubey, “Thanks again. Really, I can’t say that enough,”

It gave him a curt nod, “And I shall do my best to fulfill my duties.”

Despite being a completely odd creature, Kyubey seemed strangely endearing.

Hiro shut the door and got ready to face the new day.

By the time Hiro stepped out of the bathroom, he gathered enough of his wits to let everything finally sink in.

Kyubey told him the truth. His wish came true! Tadashi was alive and well.  And based on his brother saying he was going to be late for class, then that meant he was finally going to the nerd school he’d been working so hard to get into. Things couldn’t get any better.

He probably freaked out his brother with his gross sobbing. But he was determined not to waste this chance that Kyubey gave him.

He was so happy, he couldn’t stop the grin that settled on his face as he came down the stairs. Kyubey followed him, trotting down the steps beside him.

Tadashi didn’t seem to notice the oddity of the part-cat, part-rabbit, part-ferret creature just strolling next to Hiro. He just gently asked him if he was alright, then reminded him to hurry up unless he wanted to be late.

When Tadashi’s back was turned, Hiro shot a questioning look at Kyubey.

He was expecting to hear its voice speak out loud, but he was caught off guard by the sound of Kyubey’s voice echoing in his head.

_Normal humans can’t perceive me._

“Wha-?” he blurted out. Thankfully, Tadashi was busy talking to Aunt Cass so his little outburst went by unnoticed.

 _We can still communicate telepathically, however,_ Kyubey went on. _It’s one of the abilities a magical boy or girl can do._

Hiro surprised himself even more by instinctually knowing just how to do that. He concentrated on his ring and let the magic flow through him.

_You can hear my thoughts?_

_Only what you want me to hear,_ Kyubey assured him.

_Whoah! This is a little freaky. But so awesome!_

After they said goodbye to Aunt Cass, Tadashi told him that since he too ages to get him up and ready, they’d have to take his moped.

“Alright!” Hiro whooped and jumped on behind Tadashi.

Kyubey nimbly hopped on his shoulder just before Tadashi revved up the engine. With Kyubey clinging on to the back of Hiro’s hoodie , they rode off to SFIT.

 

* * *

 

 

Hiro’s first day was certainly eventful. He was possibly the youngest one there. He stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone else towered over him. It was a little overwhelming, actually. They were different from the shady people who hung out at bot fights. While those guys looked tough, he knew he could outsmart them. But here, people were just as intelligent. But that didn’t stop him from impressing his professors with his enthusiasm.

For his freshman year, he had to take core classes or as he liked to call “the basic boring stuff”. He already knew most of the material they were going to study. But he was excited by the prospect of having a chance to try out the advanced tools that only top tier universities like SFIT had. Plus, he met some cool teachers and students.

But with Kyubey constantly talking to him through telepathy, he was always getting distracted from his conversations with other people in class. Most of them were nice and friendly, introducing themselves to him. But they must have assumed wasn’t interested in talking to them or was being shy, so they just left him alone. Although the other students found him interesting as a child prodigy, the age gap made it difficult to make friends.

Hiro didn’t mind though. His head was brimming with ideas. It was just the first day and his teachers mostly discussed the coursework for the first semester. But he could already think of a bunch of things he could do for possible projects.

Hiro’s first day as a college kid went by fairly quickly. He had made plans to meet with Tadashi later that afternoon at his lab. (I _wonder when I’ll get my own lab?_ He thought to himself _)_. Apparently, his brother wanted to show what upgrades he’d been working on with Baymax. And Hiro was curious to see what new stuff that big puff of marshmallow could do.

But as he made his way there, he passed by the old Physics Department. He remembered that Tadashi told him that it had been replaced by the newer Physics department building on the other side of the campus. Now, the old structure was empty and was planned to be demolished to make way for a new building. Thus, there was no one there. But Hiro felt a sinister presence coming from there. He stopped in his tracks and stared at the building.

 _Something’s not right._ Hiro noticed. _But I can’t tell what or where it is._

Kyubey, who was perched on his shoulder hopped down. _It could be a witch. You’ll need to activate your soul gem’s second form to find the exact location._

Hiro nodded. He shut his eyes in concentration. He let instinct lead him as he drew out energy from his soul gem. He could feel a gradual shift in weight from his ring. When he opened his eyes, he saw light radiating from the silver band.

Wait. The light wasn’t coming _from_ his ring. His ring transformed and was now _made_ of light _._ The light rose from his middle finger and was now floating before him. He could sense it still changing. Slowly the light shaped itself into an egg shape. Then, the intangible light started to become solid again. Hiro held his hand out and the egg-shaped light turned into what looked like an egg shaped purple gem with a gold base. It reminded him of a Faberge Egg.

 _So this is my soul gem’s other form?_ Hiro mused.

Still looking intently at his soul gem, Hiro took a step forward towards the abandoned building.

 _I can sense it more clearly now. It’s definitely coming from in there._ He confirmed.

But when Hiro looked up, the world around him had changed into a grotesque scene.

 _Watch out!_ Kyubey warned. _The witch has pulled us into her labyrinth._


End file.
